Thunder of Thanasis Family Dinner

[Kaveh]

Outside Thanasis - On the Thanias Plateau

This had to be simply the worst Orissa and his mother had ever had.

Ever.

Kaveh stood at the edge of the Plateau, staring off into the mountains where a dozen miles nestled within the valleys he could see their home city of Thanasis. Beside and behind him lay Rayvath's massive form. The gargantuan dragon wrapping protectively around the Prince of Rage and his two companions. Briseis stood beside him and Ciraxis' besides her. On his other side stood Djana, Kaveh's second wife, who had insisted on coming if only for the oppurtinty to needle his family.

An option she had only precisely because of the manipulations of the fairer half of his family. Mother and his sister apparently thinking that it was time they all had something they'd been missing out on for nearly a decade; a family dinner. "This is an utterly ridiculous idea."

He repeated out loud, not for the first time that day.

"Yes, My Heart, we know." Djana repeated, also not for the first time that day. Her eyes shooting over to Briseis and rolling with all the pronouncment of an acclaimed actor. "You can always just go."

She offered again. "Bri and I are happy to say you felt ill, or perhaps you'd rather prove your brothers right?"

Her words needled him, poking and prodding as she purposefully pushed forth a small bit of rage. The petulant child within the Prince almost immediately rising to the bait, only to be pushed back as Kaveh reminded himself of why Djana prodded. She knew him better than anyone, save perhaps Shirian, and right now anger was what he needed.

But he needed to control himself first. Keep the rage back, biting only when pressed. That was how to win. That was how he showed them he was no longer the same angry little boy. That they didn't need to have this celebration out on the Plateau, that the 'caution' his brothers had insisted on had been nothing but a way to anger him in the first place. This was all a game, he knew, and one that Nasri played far better than he ever had.

A hand gently brushed against his arm as Djana stepped up besides him fully. Her voice whispering in his ears. "Don't worry, Love. We'll kill them one day, you and me."

She purred softly, her palm curling beneath his chin as she bent him down and pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Rayvath, there's a Roxen over here for you!"​

His mother's voice boomed out, and in an instant the massive Red Dragon whipped up her head. Bright yellow eyes flickered over towards the Queen of Thansis, drawing ever further towards the massive cow-like beast that had been brought onto the plateau by a group of guards. Almost unable to contain herself, the traiterous guard leaped upward, bounding across the ragged flat earth and shaking the earth as she sprinted to snap up her meal.

Kaveh let out a sigh, Djana releasing him from her grasp as he turned and finally faced the 'dining hall' which had been set up upon the plateau.

It was impressive in a way, really, and if the Palace hadn't been a short flight away one might have even called the setup before them the most fitting place for their family to dine. His mother and Orissa had spared no expense, the pavilion large enough to hold even most of the families Dragons. A massive dining table and decorations marking where they would share their first family meal in nearly fifteen years.

 

[Orissa]

"This would have been a very good lesson to teach you in how to cope with those telling you no, dear Orissa." Nasri was none to pleased to be here, staring at Kaveh and his companions.

Orissa smiled despite the notable displeasure of her brothers coming to be here, for her sake and at her behest that she wanted all those she loved and cared for to be here. She had asked their Queen Mother to aid in the effort to pull this off, but it was the gentle heart and love Orissa had for each of her brothers that had them agree to a truce for a few hours. Neutral ground, that is what she had deemed this plateau.

"I do not want to scare off my husband to be. After what we both witnessed on the shores, I doubt seeing the royal siblings and their dragons at each other's necks to be an encouraging image to marry into." Pixaelys huffed, mere feet from the set table and decorations. He was the smallest of the royal dragons, but still at a larger size due to his age.

"Despite the Araelors coming to the palace to meet us all, this is good opportunity for us to show Jensen Ararelor to be comfortable with the ruling family of our city." The Queen now fussed with Orissa's hair, much like her own.

"I should go speak with Kaveh." The only brother that stood aside from the family. Orissa was still waiting on the arrival of her betrothed, but seeing her favourite of her brothers brought a wide smile to her face. "Come, Pixaelys." And the Ransa rose to flank his rider moving towards where the prince stood with one of his wives and Briseis.

"Thank you for behaving on my account." She gave him a sheepish smile, knowing that he quite possibly would rather be anywhere else than here with family. "I knew getting you all together for a wedding would be disastrous, but this? Thank you." Warmth spread across her expression now, appreciating Kaveh's presence. She had told him to invite whomever he wished so that he would not be alone with their brothers or their parents. Orissa gave each of his guests a geuine smile of greeting and appreciation.

 

[Briseis]

It'd been some time since she'd been living in the belly of the beast, and most things had been getting at least slightly easier. She was less terrified of flying, she could read a little - thanks to Rune -, and Vhagor had been putting her through her paces in training, but as much as she tried to blend in, Briseis did not belong. Especially not at Royal dinners. She'd been more than happy to remain in her chambers, hell she'd have been happier with flight maneuvers or letting Vhagor beat her into the ground twice than she would be here. Alas, she'd been all but dragged along, and Kaveh's wives had once again enjoyed dressing her for the occasion.

Briseis let out a quiet sigh, nodding absently in agreement of how ridiculous an idea this was. She huffed a laugh at Djana's 'suggestion' of the Prince feigning illness, and she turned to them both with a light smirk. "We both had the same breakfast stew, if our Prince is unwell then it only makes sense that I am too." she mused with a shrug. Joking aside, there was no way in Arethil she was going in there without Kaveh. His brothers made her anxious enough as it was.

She turned away as Djana quietly assured that she'd help him murder his family. It was rare, but sometimes Briseis forgot how afraid she should be in the presence of these people. Kaveh had become a dear friend, he'd saved her from imprisonment and probable death and so she knew that she owed him her life. She didn't fear him, despite the rage he carried - but the Royal family were unhinged.

Bri watched Rayvath go, then Ciraxis as he strut after her, and she straightened as Kaveh's sister approached them, waiting for acknowledgement before she dipped into a slight curtsy. "Princess Orissa. I am so very grateful to be here." she lied politely.

 

[Jensen]

Jensen was fairly certain this marriage might kill him, despite the instances from his parents it was a good match. Valathor seemed to share his opinion as the Tsyone dragon caught sight of the red behemoth of a dragon that belonged to the youngest Prince bounding across the plateau. Despite the dragons being similar in age, if the red dragon wanted she could likely snap Valathor in half with a single bite. The only other dragon who could do such a thing was the bad tempered Blue that Vhagor barely kept control of. At least Rayvath, Jensen was fairly certain, wouldn't try. Valathor didn't seem keen to test his riders hopeful nature and made sure to give the gathered dragons a wide berth as he circled above.

"Right, remember what I said. If I say the word coconut, you come up with an excuse for why we need to go back to the Wall, right?" Jensen had not been foolish enough to walk alone into the Royals open jaws and had convinced one of the soldiers from the wall to join him. He hadn't lied to his future wife when he had said he would need to return to his patrols on the Wall at the end of the evening. Technically he was on active duty having been given the all clear from the Medics Quarter. Today's leave had not been scheduled but his Commander had informed him the Queen had personally asked for a favour to grant it for him. He'd worked hard not to have his noble status entitle him to different treatment and so the 'favour' had chaffed somewhat. Insisting he would have to return by the end of the night was his small way of making a stand he wouldn't have his work interfered with.

 

[Kaveh]

As his sister approached, Djana gently stepped away from his side. Moving closer to Briseis to allow the siblings to speak. "I will control myself as long as they do."

Kaveh said with a slight flicker of his eyes towards Nasri and Mehran.

Their two brothers were standing by their father, both of them competing for a moment to speak as the King listened intently. For a moment he thought their discussion might have been something about him, but from the expression their father wore it was obvious something else was afoot.

Not that he would be told. His brothers had long since ostracized him from any sort of news of Thanasis' government. Most of his information in that came from Shirian, or Orissa.

"Your intended?" He said, glancing over towards the only one on this platform he did not know. His first wife had nearly sicced her spies on him, but Kaveh had convinced her not to do so. Orissa knew well enough to find a good choice for herself, and she had enough strength that she would buck against anyone of bad-match that could be chosen for her. "Probably would have been a better idea to have him meet us all individually."

Kaveh said, a slight tinge of humor to his tone. "No, it's really not better."

Djana interjected, glancing at Briseis.

"Right?" Jensen was not outsider to the Royal family here. "Having to wonder which face in the palace is going to try to stab me and which won't was a massive pain in the ass."

His beloved offered, clearly searching for agreement.

Orissa | Briseis | Jensen

 

[Orissa]

Orissa's gaze followed to where Kaveh looked, a small smile lifting her lips. After their last meeting at the Palace, Orissa had found herself liking Jensen for his true, natural self. She had thought this had been a good arrangement being made, that she had lucked out with her parent's choice of her husband, after all, she had insisted that she would have one husband and not be wed multiple times like her brothers. It was clear the Princess was smitten.

"Oh, he has already met Nasri and Mehran." She delighted, watching Jensen converse with the other Ascendant he must of invited at her insistence. That way he had someone to keep him company if he found being alone with the royal family to be much. "In fact, they met the entire brood of Arealor children. You said you were ill that day and did not show." Orissa never showed anger, not even hurt, but there was a chosen sharpness to her tone. She had begged her brother to put aside their differences then, but perhaps she ought to be glad he was present now.

"We have been sending each other letters before the wedding, and I have told him all about you Kaveh, and of your beautiful wives." Orissa loved each of his wives, but got on famously with Mahsa. It was her that Orissa went to in order to better understand healing and medicine. "I wrote about you too, Bri." Another friend she got to make. Rumour and scandal did nought to sway the Princess' mind when it came to the young woman under her brother's protection. Orissa made sure to have tea with her often. "All good things, I promise! Just... I did not want to bore him with stories about the ladies I am friends with, and I already talked his ear off about my Gilded Wings."

The five dragon riders that served in her private gaurd were stationed not too far from Jensen, and gave him polite greeting.



Briseis Jensen Kaveh